Marching Out of the Dark

News

Natasha is a public health advocate who is extremely passionate about removing the societal stigma surrounding mental health and creating support systems and healthy practices for those silently suffering. She believe not every illness can be alleviated with medication, but instead individuals must harness their internal strength, have proper social support, and take time to self reflect, heal, and strengthen their mental and physical well-being.

The Depression Army is proud to announce Ashley Jannasch as its new artistic director. Ashley is a 4th year studio art student at USF working primarily in photography and installation. In her work she seeks to explore her bipolar diagnosis and emotional experiences, and communicate these experiences to her viewers.

Depression Army is proud to announce its DA Warriors program for its strongest supporters who want to go the extra mile to change the conversation about depression. A group of thirty DA Warriors are currently engaged in guerilla actions around the world in support of DA. Below are profiles of six of the DA Warriors. If you are interested in applying to become a DA Warrior, please contact thedepressionarmy@gmail.com.

Kaitrin Higbee is a 25-year-old with a penchant for wearing more makeup when she's stressed. It's like war paint for her. She masquerades as a web developer for a non profit by date, and masquerades as an adult by night. Sometimes she can't believe that she's a real adult allowed to do things like pay bills and buy her own groceries. She joined the Depression Army Warriors after a battle with her own depression. She wanted to give back to the community that supported her so much during her battle, because honestly? Talking about how she felt during that time was the only way that she got through it. Our society stigmatizes mental illness so much, and that stigma doesn't help people fight their own mental battle. That stigma can only be erased by standing up and talking about mental illness and the impact it has on people's lives. The more people who refused to accept that stigma, the less powerful that stigma becomes.

Chelsea Girard is an 18 year old student who was crowned Miss Teen United Nations 2015 where she represented her country Canada where she won the World title in Jamaica. Chelsea suffers from depression and anxiety for 3 years now. She believes bringing awareness and support to those suffering from mental illness' can conquer the stigma of mental health. Chelsea decided to become a DA Warrior in order to become a voice for the voiceless and bring hope to those suffering to show them they are not alone.

Meghan Talbot is an 18 year old Michigander who enjoys dogs, naps and dancing. She was diagnosed with depression as well as generalized anxiety disorder a year ago. She hassuffered from the illnesses for much longer than that, but refused treatment because of the stigma she heard about mental illness. Through her battle, DA has helped her many times. She decided to become a warrior so others can learn that they are not alone in their battles as well as end stigma and educate others on depression.

Courtney Burton is a 17 year old Idahoan. She loves to read, volunteer, & help others in her free time! She has suffered with anxiety, depression, & adjustment disorder for many years. She didn't want to seek help because of the stigma on mental illness & thought that her illness wasn't real. Then she found DA & she realized it is real & she can help other stop the stigma of mental illnesses. She wants to help people get a better understanding on depression and other mental illnesses & disorders.

Noelle Weber is a 19 year old from Wisconsin. She drinks too many Starbucks Frappuccino's and spends too much time on social media. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family laughing. She has not been diagnosed with mental illness but has been hurt by it through others including friends and family. She wants to end the stigma of mental illness so no one fights alone and that everyone can have a voice. Noelle decided to become a DA Warrior because she didn't want people to be fighting alone and wants to end all the stigma with depression. Depression Army can do just that!

Mani García-Lesy is a 42 year old from New York City. He enjoys singing, learning parkour, and using American Sign Language. He also loves spending time with his wife and daughter. Mani has been diagnosed with complex PTSD and Depression. Mani is in his fourth year of a doctoral program in Health Psychology and Clinical Science. He joined DA Warriors because he believes it is critical that the conversation about depression and mental health needs to change—and this change should have the full support of those in health fields. Feeling alone is one of the worst parts about living with Depression. Thanks to DA Warriors people can hopefully feel less alone, and more understood.

Bianca Thompson is 30 years old and living in Oklahoma City. She has lived with depression for 11 years and diagnosed with Anxiety and Bipolar 3 years ago. The depression army has been an inspiration for her. She believes movements such as this are vital in ending the stigma that surrounds mental illness. The hardest part of living with any mental illness is being alone and misunderstood. The sense of community and understanding within the Depression Army is of great value to anyone struggling.

After a break, we are excited to announce the re-launch of our YouTube channel, a crucial element of our social media campaign. The channel will be overseen by Kira Jaye VanWingerden and will feature and a eclectic mix of programming, including a regular VLOG series.

Hello Depression Army! My name is Kira, and I'm excited to announce the relaunch of our official YouTube channel! To kick things off, I will be posting a Vlog every Tuesday at 5:00 EST. The first one will be posted next week so make sure you guys check out our YouTube channel here! Can't wait to hear from and respond to you guys in the comments! Thank you so much for supporting this awesome cause,